The state Department of Environmental Conservation is warning St. Lawrence County residents to avoid dens to prevent conflicts with coyotes and other wild animals.

Many of the North Country’s resident coyotes are setting up dens for pups that will arrive this spring.

The Eastern coyote can be found in rural farmlands and forests, and occasionally in populated suburban and urban areas. In most cases, coyotes avoid people as much as possible.

However, if coyotes learn to associate people with food such as garbage or pet food, they may lose their natural fear of humans, and the potential for close encounters or conflicts increases.

Conflicts with people and pets may result as coyotes tend to be territorial around den sites during the spring through mid-summer period as they forage almost constantly to provide food for their young.

Incidents with people or pets are rare, but it is important to be aware of the presence of coyotes so steps can be taken to reduce the chance that a negative interaction occurs, the DEC warns.

It is important to keep pets safe. Cats allowed to roam free are at risk. To protect your cat from coyotes and other hazards keep your cat indoors. Owners of small dogs also have cause for concern. Small dogs are at greatest risk of being harmed or killed when coyotes are being territorial during denning and pup-rearing. Small dogs should not be left unattended in backyards at night and should remain supervised. Owners of large and medium sized dogs have less to worry about, but should still take precautions.